Centrifugal milk-tester.



PATENTED.- 00T.. 27, .1903.v

T. L. ivALEBlUs. CENTRIFUGAL MILK TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1B, 1 903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1m MODEL.

r r A 110.742,00@- PATENTBD 001211903;

T. L. VALERIUS. CENTRI AL MILKiTEsTER. APPLIKO T N FILED MAY 18, 1903.

H0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-"SHEET Z.

www, Jive/Z571; MW t l UNITED STATI-3Sv PATENT OFFICE..

Patented October 2'?, 1903.

THEODORE L. VALERIUS, OF FORT'ATKlNSON, WISCCNSN, ASSIGNOR TO CREAMERY PACKAGE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHlCAGO, ILLI- NOlS, A CORPORATION OF lLLlNOlS. Y

CENTRIFUGAL MILK-TESTER.

b.11.ECLUEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,815, dated October 27, 1903.

Application 'filed May 18. 1903. Serial No. 157,680. kNo model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEoDoRE LVALERIUS,

a citizen of the United St( tes, residing at Fort Atkinson, in the county of Jefferson and State of W'isconsin, have invented a certain new,

useful, and Improved Centrifugal Milk-Tester, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to centrifugal milktesters of the class known as Babcock tesio ters; and the invention has special reference to improvements upon steam-driven milktesters.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a centrifugal milk-tester to be oper- 5 ated by steam and which will rotate the milktest bottles at a higher speed than will other machines with less expenditure of steam and with steam at a lower pressure.

Another object of the invention is to prozo vide a machine of this class whereby and wherein the temperature of the testing-bottles and their contents may be regulated, controlled, and, if need be, maintained with certainty, reliability, and ease.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for quickly stopping the bottle-carrier of such a machine wit out waste of steam and for regulating the speed thereof when occasion requires.

The other objects of my invention are to provide a steam-driven or turbine milk-tester that shallbe more durable than the machines hitherto devised and which shall also be of simpler, cheaper, and lighter construction.

My invention consists generally in a centrifugal milk-tester comprising a body that contains an upper and a lower chamber, in combination with a shaft extending through said chambers and having suitable bearings,

4o a bottle-carrier arranged on said shaft within said lower chamber, and a steam-motor arranged on said shaft within said upper chamber, suitable means being provided for supplying steam to said motor; and, further, my invention consists, broadly, in a centrifugal tester having a bottle-carrier chamber and a steam-motor chamber, in combination with a valved connection between said chamber for cxhaustin g a portion or all of the steam from chamber; and my invention further consists yin a turbine-actuated centrifugal milk-tester comprising` a suitable body, a steam-turbine, and a bottle-carrier connected ltherewith, in combination with positive mechanical means for stopping or braking the rotation of the turbine and carrier; and, further and specifically, my invention consists in the combination of a suitable body with a vertical shaft having widely-separated bearings therein and a steam-turbine and a bottle-carrier arranged on. said shaft between said bearings. The invention consists also of various details of construction and of combinations of parts,

all as hereinafter described, and particularly ointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understoodby reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a centrifugal milktester embodying my invention, a portion of the top being broken avv-ay to show the steamturbine and the temperature controlling valve. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the lowerpart of the machine containing the bottle-carrier, the upper half of the metal casing being removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional"detail showing the temperature-controlling valve onthe line y y of Fig. 1 Fig. 5 is a section-view on the line e' z of Fig. 1, illustrating the brake for stopping the machine. Fig. 6 is a view of the turbine-wheel from beneath. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the shaft of the machine with the two coupling-pins thereon, and Fig. 8 is a detail view of the h ub of the bottle-carrier as seen from beneath.

Thenoticeable or characterizing features of my machine are the large machine-body and the small motor-casing arranged ou the top thereof. These contain the large lower cham'- ber 2 and the small upper chamber 3, respectively. The vertical shaft 4 extends through both these chambers and is provided with bearings,preferably at its extreme ends, in the bottom and the top of said lower and upper chambers. A bottlecarrier 5 of any suitable said motor-chamber into saidbottle-carrier which serves construction is attached to the shaft within the large chamber 2 of the body of the niachine, being about as it is in other machines. The turbine-wheel 6, however, instead of being arranged in the same chamber with the bottle-carrier or in a chamber beneath the bot- 23 is a drain-cock for drawing off the liquid that accumulates in the bottom trough.

24 is a ball step-bearing supported by the screw 25 in the lower bearing 12. The bearings 11 and 12 are preferably brass collars or sleeves that are babbitted in the bosses on the bottom 18 and on the plate 20, and the shaft is neatly fitted to said bearings to run smoothly therein.

The bottle-carrier 5 may be of any desired construction; but I prefer to use a lightwheel, having a raised rim 5 for carrying the swing'- ing cups 52, wherein the testbottles 26 are placed. The bottles are thus elevated above the bottom of the chamber 2, while the hub upper chamber is provided with a steam-in- It also has an exhauststeam cavity S, and here occurs a further characterizing feature of 'my invention*to wit,

9 by which the passage of exhaust-steam from the motor-casing to the bottle-carrier chamber is controlled, as explained more fully hereinafter. said chamber and is attached to the shaft 4 at a point close to the'bearin g 12. The shaft strains. This is important, as the bottle-carrier is never accurately balanced when being used. The lower end of the carrienhub 53 is provided with a cross-slot or recess 13 to receive the cross-pin or coupling 13 in the shaft 4. The ends of the recess 13 prevent the loss of the pin from the shaft; but said pin may be easily removed from the shaft when the carrier is lifted off the pin.

In all machines similar to mine the turbinesuch parts, the mechanical positive wheel has been placed brake 15, arranged, preferably, in the motorcasing and stopping the rapidly-rotating members, the arrangement of the steam pipes or connecmachine`namely, the parts 18 and 19, constituting' the upper and lower halves of the main bod the door 10 in said upper part, and the circular plate 20, as the top of the motor-casing and contains the upper shaft-bearing 11. The spondiiigly reduced. The top 19 of the body 18 and 19 are portion 19 forms the bottom of the motorcasing, which casing is completed by the vertical of the exhaust-cavity 8,

bine would be difficult of access. casing of my machine is therefore much machine as `a whole is corre- 20. The portion 19 is The door 10 is a sector of the provided with a boss 194, with a central opencurved upper part 19 and is preferably piving 195for the shaft 4. The boss 1.94 prevents oted on the lower part 18 by the hinge-joints the iiow of water from the motor-casing, but 2l. The lower body part 1S is provided with D as I find that any bearing legs 22, preferably integral therewith and between the turbine and the bottle-carrier is its bench or permit the easy cleaning of all the machine. The bottom 18 of the part 1S is swelled upward or mounded to form awater-shed about the lower shaft-bearnot confine the scope of my invention thereto. ing 12 and whereby a drain-trough is formed These bearings are easily attached and easily lubricated. The coupling between the shaft 4 and wheel 6 is like unto the coupling for 4 is thereby relieved from excessive flexing- ICC IIO

' supplied through wall.

masia the bottle-carrier, comprising a pin 14, that is confined in a recess 14 in the lower end of machine is the wheel-hub G', at once preventing the rotaplaced in the swinging cups tion of the wheel on the shaft and supportin g tie-carrier.

the weight of the wheel. The weight of the 15 released, wheel, of the bottle-carrier, and of the shaft valve 1G'.

4 is borne by the ball step-bearing 2/ l at a pressure approximating the only frictional opposition to of the parts is the slight friction of the bearings 11 and 12. The top plate 2O is preferably provided with a turned shoulder 20', neatly fitting the walls of the opening in the top of the motorcasing and making other then opened and the bottles of the rotary and tlie steam turned tle-carrier,wliicli soon rise that, taken at the periphery the steam at the nozzle.

acid, usually sulfuric acid. The door 6 of the bot- Tlie door is now closed, the brake on at the r1`he steam entering the turbine five pounds, many pounds less than with other testers, quickly starts the turbine-wheel and the botto a rotative speed,

of the bottle-car! rier, will closely approximate the velocity of The rotation ofthe steam-packing unnecessary. The plate is secarrier causes the bottle-cups with the bottles cured by screws 2O'2 and may be easily retherein to assume horizontal positions, and moved when it is desired to inspect or take centrifugal force acting upon the ingredients the turbine-wheel 6 from the casing. The of the milk, combined with the acid, accordupper end of the shaft 4: is preferably provided with a screw-tliread 27, which coperates with a simple speed-indicator 28, for which a post 2O3 is provided on the plate 20. The mechanical brake previously mentioned, comprising, preferably, a flat spring 15, is secured to the under side of the plate 2 15', and a screw 29 is provided in the plate 2O for forcing the spring down against the top ofthe turbine-wheel 6. By this means the speed of the turbine-wheel and the bottlecarrier may be checked or the same stopped at will-a simple but important improvement testers, which must be stopped by reversing the steam-jet or else left to slowly run down after the steam is shut off. The niotor-casing is provided with a straight side having the projections shown at its ends. "he steam-jet 7 at one end is substantially tangential to the turbine-wheel. Steam is the pipe 16, which has a valve 16 for regulating the flow of steam. The exhaust-pipe 17 leads out of the cavity 1S, and between the same and the cylindrical walls of the casing l provide an opening or steam-passage 30 in the floor of the wheelcasing leading into the lower chamber. This passage is closed by the swinging valve 9, pivoted by the stem 31 and adapted to close against the end 32 of the cylindrical casing- The upper end of the stem 31 is formed into a crank-arm 33, by which the valve may be opened and closed. The valve is so arranged that when swung effects the separation of the butter-oil the serum of the milk.

ties.

the steam inthe exhaust-cavity. tion of the butter-fat in water to complete butter-oil and accumulate same in uated necks of the bottles. from the bottles the gr valve 9. The turbine held by the brake, and steam that He may th the bottle-carrier, though at the it will have Ico the machine and fills one bottle ing to their different specific gravities,quickly from The oil is displaced by the heavier serum and acid mixture and is driven inward into thesinall necks of the bot- The valve 9 when in the position shown in Fig. 1 will be held shut by the pressure of The separathis manner requires but a few moments, at the end of'which time the brake to the turbine -wheel by turning the to raise the oil in the bottle, where percentage can be After this the door is again closed and few ininutes to effect an absolute separation of the The readings to be accurate must be taken while the bottles have a uniform temperature of about 150, and the operator will therefore the machine and open the steammeantime partially opening the wheel is'at this time the small quantity of enters through the partiall the turbine-wheel tion it practically closes the direct passage to and be diverted by the open valve 9 into the the exhaust-pipe, and all of the steam that opening 30 andthe lower chamber. Afterthe enters the casing from the nozzle 7 will then bottles have been heated the readings may be pass down into the chamber 2. The swingtaken at once or the bottles may be kept at ing valve here shown may be held in any pothe`\.required temperature indefinitely by a any portion of the steam to bottle-carrier chamber and is to be difficult whichwill be permitted to escape at the across the exhaust-passage.

lates in the bottom of the machine may cock 23.

When it is desired ling-pin 13 and said pin is removed. The

smalkquantity of steam, practically none of haust because of the presence of the valve 9 The water of condensation and other moisture which accumudrawn off at any time by simply opening the to dismember the machine, the bottle-carrier is lifted off the couptop IIO

plate being then removed, the turbine-wheelV and the shaft may be lifted out, and the bottle-carrier may then be taken out through the door. It is obvious that numerous modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, and I therefore do not confine my invention to the specific constructions herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent` Y l and lower chambers, in combination, with a carrier for rotation in said lower chamber, and a carrier-driving device arranged in said upper chamber, substantially as described.

' centrifugal milk-tester, havinga bottle carrier chamber and a steam-turbine chamber or casing, a valved steam-supply for said turbine and a valved connection between said chambers for controlling the passage of steam f om said turbine-easing to the bottle-carrier chamber, substantially asV described.

3. A centrifugal milktester,haviugasteammotor as one of its elements for driving its bottle carrier and having' chambers in one of which said motor operates, in combination, with mechanical means for stopping said motor when itis desired to heat the other chamber, substantially as described.

and lower chambers tion, with a shaft having end bearings, a bottle-carrier arranged on said shaft, in one of said chambers and a tu rbine-wheel arranged on said shaft, in the other chamber, substantially as described.

centrifugal tester, comprising a suitable body,in combinatiolnwith a vertical shaft therein, having suitable bearings at its ends, and a motor-wheel and a bottlecarrier arranged on said shaft, between said bearings, substantially as described.

6. A centrifugal tester, having' upper and lower chambers or casings,a vertical shaft to the shaft in said lower chamber, and suitable inlet and exhaust connections for said upper chamber, substantially as described. 7. A centrifugal tester, comprising a bod b bearings in the top and bottom of said body, a bottle carrier secured point near one of its bearings, and a steamturbine wheel secured to the shaft at a point near its other bearing, substantially as described.

8. A centrifugal tester, comprising a body containing a large bottle-car ier chamber and able means connecting said carrier and wheel, I

substantially as described.

9. A centrifugal tester, comprising a body portion containing a bottle-carrier chamber, in combination, with a turbine-casing upon the top of said body portion and of less diameter, suitable means for supplying and eX- austing steam to and from said casing, avertical shaft, a bottle-carrier thereon, within said body portion, a turbine-wheel on said shaft within said casing, and means connecting said wheel and carrier, substantially as described.

n a steam-turbine centrifugal tester, a-

IO. I turbine-wheel and a bottle-carrier, suitably connected and so constructed that the periphery of the bottle-carrier exceeds that of said wheel, when driven thereby, substantially as described.

ll. In a centrifugal tester, the body, in combination,`with a driven shaft having bearings in said body, a bottle-carrier, a supportingcoupling on said shaft between said bearings for said 'carrier and a supporting-bearing for said shaft, substantially as described.

l2. n a machine of the class described, the

and lower chambers, with a vertical shaft having suitable bearings, the steam-turbine wheel mounted on said shaft within said upper chamber, and a member to be driven, mounted on said shaft, within the lower chamber, substantially as described.

l 3. A centrifugal tester, comprising a suitable body, in combination with a vertical shaft, having bearings therein, including a bearing supporting said shaft against longitudinal steam-motor member mounted on said shaft and supported thereby, and a bottle-carrier mounted on said shaft and supported thereby, belowr said motor member, substantially as described.

I4. A centrifugal tester, comprising a suitg provided with a water shed or mound, and a bearing provided therein having a closed lower end, supporting said shaft and the carrier thereon, substantially as described.

l5. In a centrifugal tester, the combination of a suitable body, having upper and lower vertical bearings, with a shaft arranged in said bearings and having' an end support in one thereof, a cross-pin provided in said shaft In a centrifugal tester, a body having upper and lower chambers, in combination, with a vertical shaft having supporting-bearings, a bottle-carrier in said lower chamber,

llO

a turbine-wheel in said upper chamber, and opening, and that portion of the exhaust- 5o cross-pins in said shaft, whereon said carrier cavity behind said swinging valve being in and wheel rest, respectively, for rotation with communication with the bottle-carrier chamthe shaft, substantially as described. ber, substantially as described.

5 17. In a centrifugal tester, a body contain- 21. A centrifugal tester, comprising abody ing a testing member, in combination, with a made up of the upper and lower halves 1S 55 smaller steam-motor casing arranged on the and 19, in combination, with the sector-like top of said body, the motor member for operdoor provided in said upper part and hinged ating the testing member, means for supplyon said lower part, the shaft within said body,

lo ing steam thereto, an exhaust-cavity in sai thebottle-carrier provided thereon and means casing providedwith an opening communicatfor driving said bottle-carrier, substantially 6o ing with said body and a controlling-valve as described.

for regulating the iiow of steam from said cas- 22. The combination, of the body comprising into said body through said opening, subing upper and lower parts, together constistantially as described. tuting the bottle-carrier chamber, with the 1S. Acentrifugal tester, comprising a body turbine-casing provided on said upper part 6:

containing two chambers, in combination, and substantially integral therewith, the cirwith a bottle-carrier arranged in one of said cular top plate of said casing, suitable inlet chambers, a steam-turbine wheel arranged in and exhaust connections for said casing, the

zo the other chamber, means connecting said central shaft, the turbine-wheel, and the botwheel and carrier, a steam-nozzle entering tlc-carrier, substantially as and for the pur- 7o the chamber containing said wheel, the expose specified. haust-cavity of said chamber', an exhaust- 23. ln a centrifugal tester, the combinapipe leading therefrom, a duct or opening tion of 'a shaft, with abottle-carrier mounted connecting said chambers and a valve for thereon, a turbine-wheel, on said shaft, mepartiallyorwholly closing the passage through chanical means for stopping and regulating 75 said exhaust-pipe and diverting part or all of the speed of said wheel and means for at such the steam through said duct or opening, into time directing upon the bottle-carrier the the other chamber, substantially as described. steam that would otherwise be used by the 3o 19. ln a centrifugal tester, a body containturbine, substantially as described. ing a large lower chamber and a smaller up- 2l. ln a steam-turbine centrifugal tester, 8o per chamber, separated by a common wall the combination of the chambered body with provided with a raised center within the upthe turbine -wheel arranged in one of its er chamber and having a central opening chambers, a bottle-carrier provided in the 195, in combination, with a shaft having bearother, said wheel and carrier being connected,

ings in the top and bottom vof said upper and the steam-nozzle of said turbine, avalved con- 8 5 lower chambers respectively, a bottle-carrier nection between said chambers, and a meprovided on the lower end of said shaft, a chanical brake for stopping said wheel when motor member provided on the upper end of said connection is opened, substantially as 4o said shaft, within the upper chamber, and the described.

steam inlet and exhaust connections of said ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set 9o upper chamber, substantially as described. my hand, this 6th day of May, 1903, at Fort 20. Acentrifugal tester, comprising a body Atkinson, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, in containing a turbine-chamber and a bottlethe presence of two witnesses. carrier chamber, in combination with rotary parts or members, a steam-inlet for said tur- THEODORE L' VALERIUS bine-chamber, said turbine-chamber having lVitnesses:

an exhaust-cavity provided with a lateral FLORENCE WESCOTT, opening, a swinging valve for closing said ABBIE l. KYLE. 

